Biology

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Chemistry

Computer science

Computational biology

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Nature Chemical Biology

NLRP3 (NOD-like receptor pyrin domain-containing protein 3) is an innate immune sensor that contributes to the development of different diseases, including monogenic autoinflammatory syndromes, gout, atherosclerosis, and Alzheimer’s disease. The molecule sulfonylurea MCC950 is a NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor with potential clinical utility. However, the mechanism of action of MCC950 remains unknown. Here, we characterize the mechanism of action of MCC950 in both wild-type and autoinflammatory-related NLRP3 mutants, and demonstrate that MCC950 closes the ‘open’ conformation of active NLRP3. MCC950, a small-molecule inhibitor of the NLRP3 inflammasome, inactivates NLRP3, including hyperactive disease-linked mutations, by closing the ‘open’ conformation, thereby preventing conformational changes required for NLRP3 activation.

MCC950 closes the active conformation of NLRP3 to an inactive state